Activation of cholinergic tone by pyridostigmine reverses the inhibitory effect of corticotropin-releasing hormone on the growth hormone-releasing hormone-induced growth hormone secretion SM Corsello, A Tofani, S Della Casa, R Sciuto, CA Rota, S Colasanti, A Bini, A Barini and A Barbarino Institutes of Endocrinology and Biochemistry', Catholic University School of Medicine. Rome, Italy

Corsello SM, Tofani A, Delia Casa S, Sciuto R, Rota CA, Colasanti S, Bini A, Barini A, Barbarino A. Activation of cholinergic tone by pyridostigmine reverses the inhibitory effect of corticotropin-releasing hormone on the growth hormone-releasing hormone-induced growth hormone secretion. Acta Endocrinol 1992:126:11 3-16. ISSN 0001-5598 Previous studies have shown that corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is capable of inhibiting growth hormone (GH) secretion in response to GH-releasing hormone (GHRH). In an attempt to clarify the mechanism of the CRH action, we have studied the effect of enhanced cholinergic tone induced by pyridostigmine on the CRH inhibition of the GH response to GHRH in a group of six normal men and six normal women. All subjects presented a normal GH response to 50 \g=m\giv GHRH administration (mean peak\m=+-\semplasma GH levels 20\m=+-\2.9\g=m\g/l in men and 28.9\m=+-\2.9\g=m\g/l in women) with a further significant increase after pyridostigmine pretreatment (60mg orally given 60 min before GHRH) in men (GH peaks 43.1\m=+-\6.9\g=m\g/l, p